Gamified

Unity is building its next-gen engine around AI agents.MindsEye's Meltdown - A GTA legend's comeback studio flops, lays off 400+, blames corporate sabotage, and throws an all-expenses fan party the same day workers protest outsidePalworld borrowed Pokemon's whole playbook, got sued by Nintendo, and made ~$700M anywayGamescom Sells Out for the First Time Ever - is this genuinely bullish for the gaming industy?Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NvO5QsZuZICHAPTERS:2:53 - Mindseye Playtest & Layoffs | What’s the Word?32:50 - Palworld Stealing Mechanics | Buy or Sell?59:42 - Gamescom Sells Out | Bullish or Bullshit?1:20:05 - Unity Bets on Coding Agents | Devil’s AdvocateHOST: Sam Steffanina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsteffanina/PANEL:Chris Heatherly — Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisheatherly/ Joe Ferencz — Gamefam Founder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeferencz/Oliver Maroney (OpenSea) - https://x.com/OliverMaroneyGnoc (Digital Collectors Club) - https://x.com/itsGnocPayton Kaleiwahea (Wolves Co / Kizuna) - https://x.com/paytkaleiwaheaTony Valcarcel (Makko.ai) - https://x.com/Tvalc

EA put paid progression into College Football 27's single-player modes, then pulls it days later in launch week?What Would It Actually Take for Sony to Walk Back the Disc Shutdown?84% of Game Attention Goes to Games Older Than Two Years - is this a crisis for new games?Tim Sweeney Says Steam's Fees Are Leaving Billions on the TableIs the games industry crashing? What does it look like in 2030?Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx4bzyLOH2oCHAPTERS:2:40 - College Football P2W - What’s the Word?20:00 - Sony Returns to Physical if… | Finish the Sentence33:00 - 84% Attention on Older Games | Advise Me47:54 - Steam Fees Cost them Billions | Board Room1:09:10 - Games Industry Crashing? Bullish or BullshitHost: Sam Steffanina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsteffanina/PANEL:Chris Heatherly — Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisheatherly/ Kohji Nagata (Parallel) - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpodRobin Boyar - thinktank / Ex-EA - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-boyar/Gnoc (Digital Collectors Club) - https://x.com/itsGnocPayton Kaleiwahea (Wolves Co / Kizuna) - https://x.com/paytkaleiwahea

Is Asha Sharma's reset actually making Xbox a healthy business?What the **** was Phil Spencer doing, and how did he survive 38 years at Microsoft to walk out with Xbox losing 64 cents on every dollar?On a scale of 0 to 10, how do you feel about ads becoming standard on console and PC?Funds moving from equity to project financing: bullish or bullshit? Is this the death of gaming VC, or a necessary evolution?CHAPTERS:2:22 - Xbox Cuts Jobs & Studios | Buy or Sell21:30 - Xbox loses 64c on Every Dollar | Autopsy48:56 - Ads on Console | Buy or Sell1:09:46 - Equity vs Project Financing | Bullish or BullshitWatch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYlGzPx45RwHost: Sam Steffanina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsteffanina/PANEL:Chris Heatherly — Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisheatherly/Kohji Nagata (Parallel) - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpodWills Spangler — GameCred - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wills-spangler/Tony Valcarcel (Makko.ai) - https://x.com/TvalcColan Neese — Screen Engine / mindGAME Data - https://www.linkedin.com/in/colanneese/ Matthew Buxton - Warp Chain (ex-Rovio, Jagex) - https://x.com/BuxtonMatthew

PlayStation ends disc production in favor of digital-only in January 2028. GTA 6 is rumored to ship with a TikTok-style social network built into the game. The Steam AI disclosure study showing AI-labeled games get 53% fewer reviews, the ESA report claiming the average gamer is a 37-year-old white man, and Mecha Chameleon, the $6 hide-and-seek game outselling Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam. The Gamified panel breaks down what the end of physical discs means for game ownership, prices, and preservation, whether Rockstar can launch the biggest day-one social platform ever inside Grand Theft Auto 6.Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mQlHgtiNSgCHAPTERS:3:14 - AI Stigma | Pick A Side: Consumer or Creator18:41 - Discs Are Dead | Big Deal, Little Deal, No Deal41:44 - Avg Gamer = 37 White Male | What’s the Word?51:14 - GTA VI Social Network | Bullish or Bullshit1:06:27 - Meccha Chameleon | Over/Under 25M SalesIs the market right to torch AI games, or is this punishing the people doing it well?Physical game discs die January 2028. Big deal, little deal, or no deal - for ownership, the used-game market, preservation, and the players who still care?What's the word on the average gamer being 37, not 17 - does the industry's picture of its own audience need to change, and does it actually change what you build or how you sell it?GTA 6 is building a full social network inside the game, and it is more than set dressing - it changes how you find content. Is the in-game social feed a real shift that spreads to Roblox, Fortnite, and the rest, or a gimmick that fades after the novelty?Meccha Chameleon - Over or under 20 million copies before year end - and is this a model studios can actually copy, or lightning in a bottle?Host: Sam Steffanina - / samsteffanina PANEL:Chris Heatherly — Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal / / chrisheatherly Wills Spangler — GameCred / / wills-spangler Robin Boyar - thinktank / Ex-EA / / robin-boyar Joe Ferencz — Gamefam Founder / / joeferencz Gnoc (Digital Collectors Club) - https://x.com/itsGnocdub (Battletrade) - https://x.com/uhhdub

CHAPTERS:2:30 - GoW: Laufey Revisited | Sentiment Score20:41 - Over/Under $2B GTA VI Sales After 72hrs43:56 - Summer Games Fest 95% Sequels | Red / Green Flag57:50 - Console vs Cloud | Bullish or Bullsh1t1:10:47 - Unreal Blueprints Deprecation | Buy or Sell1:20:49 - Immutable = AppLovin Games | What are the OddsWatch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERGSPAD9XYwTwo weeks ago this room mostly buried Laufey through Bullish or Bullshit. Is the no-Kratos pivot looking like a win, or is the mindshare just negative sentiment piling up?What does GTA 6's release actually mean for the games industry? Is it just one company making money, or will this rising tide actually lift all boats and create another industry boom off the back of it’s success?24 of 25 were Sequels at Summer Games Fest. Red flag or green flag on the industry's reliance on familiar IP: a real problem the industry has to fix, or just how discovery works now? Every console maker is moving on price at the same time, and the one thing that sidesteps a $1,000 box is streaming. Is Cloud gaming bullish or bullsh1t as a result of this hardware spike?Is phasing out Blueprints a self-inflicted wound that guts the accessibility that made Unreal dominant, or a necessary modernization for a unified future?What are the odds Immutable's pivot actually works, that a collapsed Web3 company becomes a real competitor to AppLovin?Host: Sam Steffanina -   / samsteffanina  PANEL:Payton Kaleiwahea (Wolves Co / Kizuna) - https://x.com/paytkaleiwaheaKohji Nagata (Parallel) - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpoddub (Battletrade) - https://x.com/uhhdubChris Heatherly — Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal /   / chrisheatherly   Wills Spangler — GameCred /   / wills-spangler  Tony (Makko.ai) - https://x.com/Tvalc

Sharma took over from Spencer last month and is already torching every major decision Xbox made. Employees are surprised. Retailers are confused. Layoffs incoming. Future Halo on PlayStation? Nobody knows.Single-player cinematic games are the new prestige format. The shift already happened — prestige migrated from multiplayer/live-service to authored, story-driven experiences, just like it migrated from film to TV. Live-service is becoming the direct-to-video of gaming: cheap, formulaic, and increasingly abandoned. Change my mind.Sealed Super Mario Bros. just sold for $3 million. A Superman comic fetched $6 million. But whose nostalgia is actually winning? Is there a ceiling? Is it 10 / 20 / 30 years out? Does Gen Z compress the model so hard they break it entirely? Whose nostalgia wins?Change my mind: YouTubers make great movies because filmmaking is adjacent to what they already do. Gamers can't make great games because game development is nothing like playing them. The skill transfer is one-directional. Is this right, or does it oversell how easy filmmaking is and undersell game development? CHAPTERS:3:22 - Asha's Xbox Exclusive Program18:19 - Live Service Games are Dead - Change My Mind45:46 - $3M Sale for Mario Bros in 5 Years?1:06:04 - YouTubers Are Better Than Hollywood?Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMu4oqkffDsHost: Payton Kaleiwahea - https://x.com/paytkaleiwahea(Sam is on his honeymoon)PANEL:Oliver Maroney (OpenSea) - https://x.com/OliverMaroneyKohji Nagata (Parallel) - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpodGnoc (Digital Collectors Club) - https://x.com/itsGnocChris Heatherly — Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal / / chrisheatherly Wills Spangler — GameCred / / wills-spangler Tony (Makko.ai) - https://x.com/Tvalc

Have Steam wishlists become a vanity metric that no longer measures what people think it measures?The market just split on AI, and gaming is the clearest example. Nintendo has no AI features and no AI roadmap - and investors rewarded them for it. Roblox is doing the exact opposite: going all-in, building its own generative foundation models and baking agentic tools into the core of how games get made.The new God of War: Laufey makes you play as Kratos' wife. Is this bullish or bullsh!t?After a ~12-year run, Bungie is ending active development on Destiny 2 with one final content update. There is no Destiny 3. The studio's future is Marathon.Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-m6e8ZHu_YCHAPTERS:0:00 - Intro2:42 - Steam Wishlists = Bullshit | Change My Mind22:41 - Roblox All-In On AI | Sentiment Score47:57 - God-dess of War? | Bullish or Bullshit?1:10:28 - What Killed Destiny? | AutopsyPANEL:Michael Christine (Andrometa) - https://x.com/MichaelSatoshiJerry Singer (ex- Upptic) - https://x.com/JerrySingerJoe Ferencz — Gamefam Founder / / joeferencz Chris Heatherly — Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal / / chrisheatherly Wills Spangler — GameCred / / wills-spangler Colan Neese — Screen Engine / mindGAME Data linkedin.com/in/colanneeseHost: Sam Steffanina - https://x.com/SamSteffanina

THIS WEEK ON GAMIFIED: Forza Horizon 6 leaked before launch - then broke every franchise record. 172K concurrent on early access alone. 302K by end of week. Nearly 4x FH5's all-time peak.Sony held a staff town hall: single-player first-party games are PS5 exclusive going forward. No more Steam ports. A direct reversal of a six-year trend.Nintendo stock jumped 6.8% in three days. The reason? Investors rotating out of AI stocks into companies that aren't burning money on it.Saudi Arabia deployed $38 billion into gaming through Savvy Gaming Group. The acquisition phase is done. Now what?Amazon cancelled its Lord of the Rings MMO for the second time. Six days later, Warhorse Studios announced an open-world Middle-earth RPG.Xbox hired Matthew Ball as Chief Strategy Officer. The most analytics-driven hire the console space has ever made. But can strategy decks fix Xbox?Also... sorry for no episode last week - I got married!CHAPTERS:0:00 - Intro2:42 - Forza Horizon 6: Did the Leak Actually Help? | Buy or Sell16:26 - Saudi Arabia Spent $38B on Gaming | Sentiment Score34:08 - LOTR Goes to Warhorse | What's the Word49:53 - Can Matthew Ball Save Xbox? | What Are the Odds1:04:27 - Sony Goes Full PS5 Exclusive, Kills PC Ports | Buy or SellWatch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VswZ5WNNJKoPANEL:Kate Irwin (Veda) - https://x.com/kateirwinPayton Kaleiwahea (Wolves Co / Kizuna) - https://x.com/paytkaleiwaheaMichael Christine (Andrometa) - https://x.com/MichaelSatoshiKohji Nagata (Parallel) - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpodGnoc (Digital Collectors Club) - https://x.com/itsGnocOmar Ghanem (Games.gg) https://x.com/yoitsOGHost: Sam Steffanina - https://x.com/SamSteffanina

Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02n2n7h5PVIWe score the health of the gaming industry 1 to 10. Gaming VC dropped 95% from its 2021 peak. 10,000+ jobs cut in 2024. Contraction or correction?Sony paid $3.6 billion for Bungie in 2022. Both Marathon and Destiny 2 are at 10K players on Steam. The panel votes buy or sell.Double Fine unionizes with 42 employees while studios shut down around them. Sam rates Mortal Kombat 2 a 1.5 out of 10. Chris tries to defend it.GTA 6 reportedly cost $1B to $1.5B. Take-Two's CEO said Rockstar gets "unlimited resources." Is there a number that's too much?CHAPTERS (update timestamps before publishing):0:00 - Intro2:12 - Sony's $3.6B Bungie Bet | Buy or Sell20:55 - Is the $200B Gaming Industry Contracting? | Sentiment Score42:09 - Double Fine Unionizes While Studios Die | What Are the Odds1:00:29 - Mortal Kombat 2 Review | Quickfire1:10:37 - GTA 6 Unlimited Budget | Over/UnderPANEL:Jonah Blake (LiveFrame) - https://x.com/JonahBlakeKohji Nagata (Parallel) - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpodGnoc (Digital Collectors Club) - https://x.com/itsGnocChris Heatherly (Ex-Disney, Ex-NBC Universal) - https://x.com/chrisheatherlyJerry Singer (ex- Upptic) - https://x.com/JerrySingerdub (Battletrade) - https://x.com/uhhdubHost: Sam Steffanina - https://x.com/SamSteffanina

1. Ryan Cohen's GameStop makes an unsolicited $55.5B bid for eBay. Is this a legitimate M&A play or a $9.4B cash pile under pressure? The panel assigns odds from 2% to 50%+.2. Gaming VC hit $627M in H1 2025 — down from $12.5B at the 2021 peak. The panel argues the bullish case and identifies which categories can still generate returns3. Microsoft is reportedly exploring a free, ad-supported Xbox Game Pass tier.4. Star Wars dropped a UEFN-focused Fortnite activation with flat concurrency.5. Who would you hire for a Head of Product: 20-year Riot/Blizzard vet or 24-year-old Roblox builder with 250 million lifetime players? Subscribe to the Gamified newsletter: https://gamified.beehiiv.com/Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8XapwgE7xw0:00 - Intro2:50 - GameStop Bids $55.5B for eBay | What Are the Odds22:45 - Gaming VC Is Dead. Or Is It? | Devil's Advocate46:58 - Free Xbox Game Pass — Right Move? | Red Flag or Green Flag1:03:56 - Star Wars in Fortnite — Buy or Sell? | Buy or Sell1:26:05 - AAA Vet vs. Roblox Builder | Would You Rather---*This week's panel:*Sam Steffanina — Remix.gg / Gamified Events / samsteffanina kohji Nagata — Parallel https://x.com/ParallelTCGpodGnoc — Digital Collectors Club / Ex-Magic Eden https://x.com/itsGnocChris Heatherly — Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal / chrisheatherly Colan Neese — Screen Engine / mindGAME Data linkedin.com/in/colanneeseJoe Ferencz — Gamefam Founder / joeferencz Wills Spangler — GameCred / wills-spangler

If you were running a studio, would you automate over or under 30% of it with AI?After comments suggesting many studios are already using AI tools but are afraid to admit it publicly, the conversation turns into a fight over what AI should actually replace, whether studios are quietly cutting humans out faster than they admit, and what happens when the industry starts trading headcount for tooling.The episode also breaks down the shutdown of Wildcard / Thousands and what another major web3 gaming collapse says about overfunding, overbuilding, and trying to force an ecosystem before the game itself sticks.From there, the crew gets into the resurfaced Peter Berg quotes calling war video games “pathetic” and whether that makes him a red flag or green flag choice to direct the upcoming Call of Duty movie, plus Sony’s reported 30-day PS5 digital license check and what it says about digital ownership.Chapters2:06 - Wildcard Shutdown | Autopsy28:14 - Game Studio = 30% AI | Over / Under?1:00:42 - Peter Berg CoD Movie | Red or Green Flag?1:19:02 - PS5 License Checks | What’s the Word?Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxgjOUdFm90Host: Sam Steffanina - Remix.ggPanelistsKohji Nagata - Parallelhttps://x.com/ParallelTCGpodChris Heatherley - Griffin Gaming Partners (Ex-Disney, Ex-NBC Universal)https://x.com/chrisheatherlyMatt "Gnoc" Biamonte - Digital Collectors Club (Ex-Magic Eden, Soar Esports)https://x.com/itsGnocMichael Christine - Andrometa (Ex-SEC Lawyer)https://x.com/MichaelSatoshiTony Valcarcel - Makko.ai (Ex-Twitch)https://x.com/TvalcJerry Singer - (Ex-Upptic)https://x.com/JerrySinger

This week on Gamified, the panel breaks down Stop Killing Games and whether it’s a real consumer protection issue or a bad precedent for the industry, Roblox’s new age-based safety changes and what they mean for the company’s future, and the State of Decay 3 reveal controversy after the game was announced long before it was actually ready to show.2:29 - Stop Killing Games | What’s the Word?36:18 - Roblox Safety Pivot | Buy or Sell?54:50 - State of Decay Reveal | Fair or Foul?1:12:23 - Working in Games | Advise Me1:25:50 - Street Fighter vs Mortal Kombat | Who Ya Got?Subscribe to the Gamified newsletter: https://gamified.beehiiv.com/Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2TB2tkknlUHost - Sam Steffanina - Remix.gg, Gamified Eventshttps://x.com/SamSteffaninaPanelists:Kohji Nagata - Parallelhttps://x.com/ParallelTCGpodChris Heatherly - Griffin Gaming Partners (Ex-Disney, Ex-NBC Universal)https://x.com/chrisheatherlyMatt "Gnoc" Biamonte - Digital Collectors Club (Ex-Magic Eden, Soar Esports)https://x.com/itsGnocMatthew Buxton - Warp Chain (ex-Rovio, Jagex)Wills Spangler - GameCred (ex-Avalanche)https://x.com/WillsSpanglerTony Valcarcel - Makko.ai (ex-Twitch)https://x.com/Tvalc

The strange rollout of Borderlands Mobile, reports that Disney and Epic want to launch their gaming universe with an extraction shooter, the allegations surrounding Gunzilla Games + Ashes of Creation, and why Roblox games are getting movie deals. 2:51 - Steam’s AI Leak | What’s the Word?19:26 - Borderlands Surprise Launch | Red or Green Flag?30:22 - Disney Extraction Shooter | Sentiment Score58:51 - Ashes vs Gunzilla | Bigger Deal?1:13:39 - Roblox UGC Movie | What’s the Word?Subscribe to the Gamified newsletter: https://gamified.beehiiv.com/Watch instead of Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D51MM7jFAAHost - Sam Steffanina https://x.com/SamSteffaninaPanelists:Kohji Nagata - Parallelhttps://x.com/ParallelTCGpodChris Heatherley - Griffin Gaming Partners (Ex-Disney, Ex-NBC Universal)https://x.com/chrisheatherlyKate Irwin - Veda (Ex-Blockworks Ex-PCMaghttps://x.com/kateirwinMichael Christine - Andrometa (Ex-SEC Lawyer)https://x.com/MichaelSatoshiMatt "Gnoc" Biamonte - Digital Collectors Club (Ex-Magic Eden, Soar Esports)https://x.com/itsGnocColan Neese - Screen Engine & mindGAME DataLinkedIn / colanneese Info on the Gunzilla and Ashes of Creation topic:https://navarti.in.ua/1048774-vlad-korolev-alexander-zoll-and-gunzilla-games-russian-mafia-assets-laundered.htmlhttps://www.dexerto.com/gaming/failed-mmo-devs-reportedly-used-3-2m-kickstarter-funds-on-trading-cards-more-3350692/

The panel debates Take-Two (GTA6) cutting its AI team, whether game adaptations should be made for core fans or mainstream audiences, if PC is really about to overtake console, and if AAA is still the safer bet than indies. We also get into , AI’s role in preserving game history, and whether a curated indie subscription service can actually work.2:08 - Fan Service in Game Adaptations | Bullish or Bullshit12:37 - Would you rather 10 indies or 1 AAA?39:34 - PC vs Console Revenue | Over/Under57:28 - Take-Two Cuts AI Team | Red Flag or Green Flag?1:05:05 - AI Game Preservation | What’s the Word?1:15:39 - Indie Game Pass | Sentiment Score1:33:29 - MVP of the ShowSubscribe to the Gamified newsletter: https://gamified.beehiiv.com/Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKDmIzdV1LgHost - Sam Steffanina - https://x.com/SamSteffaninaPanelists:Kohji Nagata - Parallel - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpodChris Heatherley - Griffin Gaming (Ex-Disney, Ex-NBC Universal) - https://x.com/chrisheatherlyTony Valcercel Makko AI (Ex-Twitch Prime) - https://x.com/TvalcPayton Kaleiwahea (Wolves Co, Kizuna) - https://x.com/paytkaleiwaheaJonah Blake (LiveFrame) - https://x.com/JonahBlakeJerry Singer (Exit Liquidity show) - https://x.com/JerrySinger

Is Marathon already dead? Sony just raised PS5 prices for the second time in a year. And the CEO of an $11 billion company used ChatGPT to try dodging a $250M payout. Plus Chris Heatherly serves up a rumor about Disney. 2:55 Is Marathon Already Cooked?19:20 PS5's are 30% More Expensive 36:48 Metacritic's Top 10 Publishers48:08 Disney is Working on "Playable TV" 1:01:29 How Much Did Nintendo Pay for Hades 2 (Exclusive)1:14:12 Krafton's $250m Disaster + CEO Embarassment1:31:00 MVP VotingSubscribe to the Gamified news letter for summaries, quotes and extras: https://gamified.beehiiv.com/Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYAAnN4fTy4Host - Sam Steffanina https://x.com/SamSteffaninaPanelists:Kohji Nagata - Parallelhttps://x.com/ParallelTCGpodChris Heatherley - Griffin Gaming (Ex-Disney, Ex-NBC Universal)https://x.com/chrisheatherlyKevin Lambert - Origins TCG (Ex-Microsoft)https://x.com/kevinlambertWills Spangler GameCredhttps://x.com/WillsSpanglerTony Valcercel Makko AI (Ex-Twitch Prime)https://x.com/TvalcGnoc - Digital Collectibles Club (Ex-Soar Gaming/Eleven Esports)https://x.com/itsGnoc

Episode 153: The panel goes to war over Nintendo vs Marvel, dunks on Epic's disaster, dissects the $80B metaverse failure, and debates whether Crimson Desert's AI art scandal even matters.4:00 Big Deal?: Crimson Desert AI Art Scandal19:55 Buy or Sell: Cyberpunk TCG Kickstarter ($13M Raised)35:49 Autopsy: What Killed the Metaverse? ($80B Lost)46:45 Quickfire: GameStop Declares Xbox 360 "Retro"53:06 Boardroom: Epic Games Lays Off 1,000 Employees1:06:33 CEO: Nintendo vs Marvel - Who Owns the Next Decade?Subscribe to the Gamified news letter for summaries, quotes and extras: https://gamified.beehiiv.com/Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKSyYkeTvl8Host - https://x.com/paytkaleiwaheaFollow our panelists:Sam Steffanina https://x.com/SamSteffaninaChris Heatherly - https://x.com/chrisheatherlyJerry Singer - https://x.com/JerrySingerOliver Maroney - https://x.com/OliverMaroneyMichael Christine - https://x.com/MichaelSatoshiGnoc (Matt Biamonte) - https://x.com/itsGnoc

Topics on today's show - 143 million Pokemon Go players unknowingly built a 30 BILLION image AI dataset. Microsoft announced Gaming Copilot for Xbox - an AI that can play the game for you. NVIDIA showed DLSS 5 and the internet lost its mind (in a bda way). Slay the Spire 2 sold 3 million copies at $25 - did they leave millions on the table? GDC rebranded as a "Festival" and nobody cared or noticed. And Roblox accounted for 67% of ALL gaming growth outside China.This is Gamified, breaking down the biggest stories in the industry, one game mode at a time.0:28 - Pokemon Go selling data11:58 - Xbox is getting Microsoft Copilot27:40 - Slay the Spire TOO CHEAP?38:49 - GDC "festival" buy or sell?57:36 - Nvidia's DLSS 51:08:53 - Is Roblox the only stock worth buying in Gaming?Game Modes + Topics for this episode:1. Red Flag or Green Flag - Is it okay for gaming companies to use player behavior as covert data collection? Pokemon Go produced 30 billion real-world images for Niantic's AI. Players had no idea.2. Bullish or Bullsh*t - Microsoft's Gaming Copilot is coming to Xbox. Voice assistant, real-time tips, and patents for AI that takes control of gameplay. One week after Xbox's new CEO said they'd be careful with AI.3. Sentiment Score - NVIDIA showed DLSS 5 at GTC 2026. Transformer-based scene reconstruction. Photorealistic output. YouTube comments were near 100% negative. Bethesda walked back Starfield's implementation. 0-10, what's your score?4. Over/Under - Slay the Spire 2 launched at $25 and sold 3 million copies. Over or under $35 as the right price point?5. Buy or Sell - GDC rebranded as the Festival of Gaming. 20,000 attendees, down from 30K. Studios closing, layoffs compounding. Buy or sell the new format?6. Explain Like I'm a Shareholder - Roblox hit $4.9B revenue, $6.8B bookings, 144M DAUs in Q4, and more hours played than Steam, PlayStation, and Fortnite combined. It represented 67% of all non-China gaming growth. Break it down.Follow our panelists:Host - Sam Steffanina https://x.com/SamSteffaninaChris Heatherly - https://x.com/chrisheatherlyJerry Singer - https://x.com/JerrySingerOliver Maroney - https://x.com/OliverMaroneyWills Spangler - https://x.com/WillsSpanglerGnoc (Matt Biamonte) - https://x.com/itsGnocWatch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UJ3DB-zf2E

Game Modes + Topics for this episode:0:37 Netflix Valued Warner Bros Games at Zero13:55 Marathon's Massive Sentiment Reversal26:44 NY AG Sues Valve Over CS2 Loot Boxes43:33 Where Does Gaming UGC Go From Here?59:30 Pokemon Gen 10 Revealed1:22:09 Should Celebrities Be Making Games?Red Flag or Green Flag — Paramount just acquired Warner Bros Discovery, including Mortal Kombat, Batman Arkham, and LEGO Games. Netflix walked away and said they attributed zero value to the game studios. Red flag or green flag for Warner Bros Games?Sentiment Score — Marathon had plagiarism accusations, a boring alpha, and an indefinite delay. Then Bungie ran the Server Slam and 143,000 people showed up on day one. Score it before and after. Both numbers before you explain.Big Deal, Little Deal, No Deal — The New York AG just sued Valve, calling CS2 loot boxes illegal gambling. The skins market is worth $4.3 billion. A single skin sold for over a million dollars. Big deal?Finish the Sentence — Roblox has 88 million daily active users and represents 67% of all net growth in gaming. In 5 years, gaming UGC will be ___?What's the Word — Pokemon Day just happened — the 30th anniversary. Generation 10 is officially Pokemon Winds and Waves. Switch 2 exclusive. Underwater exploration. What's the word?Bullish or Bullshit — Last Flag is a free-to-play hero shooter that had 100K Steam wishlists before Imagine Dragons ever got involved. Then the band signed on, the trailer hit 280K YouTube views in a week, and Tyler1 joined the party. Should celebrities be in games?Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdASe58sCAkFollow our panelists:Host - Sam Steffanina https://x.com/SamSteffaninaKohji Nagata - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpodJerry Singer - https://x.com/JerrySingerOliver Maroney - https://x.com/OliverMaroneyMichael Christine - https://x.com/MichaelSatoshiGnoc (Matt Biamonte) - https://x.com/itsGnocPayton - https://x.com/paytkaleiwaheaBehind the scenes - Lemz https://x.com/Lemz_42

Gamified brings 6 game industry workers from founders to business developers to discuss what's going on each week in 60-second bursts. Every topic has a 'game mode' that makes the topics more entertaining and the takes a little hotter.Game Modes + Topics for this episode:1. What's the Word -- Sony quietly shut down Bluepoint Games, the studio behind some of the most beloved remakes in gaming history. 70 people out. No warning.2. Devil's Advocate -- Xbox just appointed an AI executive with zero gaming experience as its new head. 5.6 million people are not happy. We argue the other side.3. Sentiment Score -- Blizzard announced Overwatch Rush, a brand new top-down hero shooter built from the ground up for mobile. Zero to ten, what's your number?4. Change My Mind -- Friend Slop is oversaturated. Unicycling sausages, airport security simulators, Super Battle Golf. The genre has hit the wall. Change our mind.5. Explain like I'm a Shareholder -- A new report says gaming is losing your Friday nights to gambling, OnlyFans, and online casinos. Why buy gaming stocks?6. Red Flag or Green Flag -- Nintendo is charging $20 for Pokemon games outside their subscription. Microsoft is stuffing more into Game Pass and raising the price. Both are getting roasted. Red flag or green flag for gaming subscriptions?Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2IL2aKNgk0Follow our panelists:Host - Sam Steffanina https://x.com/SamSteffaninaKevin Lambert - https://x.com/kevinlambertKohji Nagata - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpodWills Spangler - https://x.com/WillsSpanglerMichael O'connor - / mjoc9 Gnoc (Matt Biamonte) - https://x.com/itsGnocdub (Andrew Wian) - https://x.com/uhhdubBehind the scenes - Lemz https://x.com/Lemz_42

Gamified brings 6 game industry workers from founders to business developers to discuss whats going on each week in 60-second bursts. Every topic has a 'game mode' - that make the topics more entertaining and the takes a little hotter. Game Modes + Topics for this episode:1. What's the Word — Blizzard surprise-dropped a brand new class for a 25-year-old game, Diablo 2 Resurrected2. Ship It or Rip It — Over half of game industry professionals think generative AI is hurting the industry. Is the backlash justified?3. Sentiment Score - Overwatch 2 drops the 2 and becomes Overwatch... again?4. Red Flag or Green Flag — Five, six, seven-year dev cycles are becoming the norm. Is that a sign of ambition or a broken industry?5. Who's to Blame? — Highguard launched, got destroyed by the internet, and the devs hit back. We dig into who's actually responsible.Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkd6RlMyJAwFollow our panelists:Host - Sam Steffanina https://x.com/SamSteffaninaKevin Lambert - https://x.com/kevinlambertKohji Nagata - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpodWills Spangler - https://x.com/WillsSpanglerJerry Singer - https://x.com/JerrySingerGnoc (Matt Biamonte) - https://x.com/itsGnocMichael Christine - https://x.com/MichaelSatoshiBehind the scenes - Lemz https://x.com/Lemz_42

What’s the Word on Highguard trailer revealed at The Game Awards?Off the Grid launches ranked mode 1 year after launch - is it too little too late?Sentiment score for Steam’s new discovery systemWhich side is winning in 5 years - indie or AAA?2025 was the year of the ______?MVP of the YearToday’s Panelists:- Dub @uhhdub- Kohji @ParallelTCGpod- Chris @chrisheatherly- Jerry @TGIFresco- Sinjin @SinjinMAYG- Gnoc @itsGnoc- Kevin @kevinlambert- Wills @willsspangler- Matthew @BuxtonMatthew

Doodles mint stallsBEST AND WORST OF 2025One thing to be excited about in 2026Today’s Panelists:- Dub @uhhdub- Hantao @Hantao- Jonah @JonahBlake- Slayer @SlayerXgg- Charlie @0xChuckstock- Gorilla @CryptoGorilla- Oliver @OliverMaroney

What’s the word for Netflix trying to acquire Warner Bros?Keep or kill - should Steam drop the “made with AI” label?Bullish or bullshit on Fableborne “buying back” token allocation from NFT holders and airdropping USDC?Sentiment Score on Trump game launching on Open LootWhat’s the word for Cambria generating over 1m in just a couple of days?Today’s Panelists:- Dub @uhhdub- Jerry @TGIFresco- Sinjin @SinjinMAYG- Gnoc @itsGnoc- Kate @kateirwin- Kevin @kevinlambert- Chris @chrisheatherly- Wills @willsspangler- Michael @MichaelSatoshi- Voh @vohvohh

Is Gaming SO back?ZACH XBTIs Decentralized social media dead?Today’s Panelists:- Jordan @JordanEureka_- Matthew @BuxtonMatthew- Iceyyy @iceyyy_gaming- Dub @uhhdub- Hantao @Hantao- Jonah @JonahBlake- Slayer @SlayerXgg- Charlie @0xChuckstock- Tony @Tvalc

Bullish or Bullshit on Kill Bill short film being released in Fortnite?What's the Word for a web3 game framing themselves as an olympic esport?What’s the Word for Roblox CEO saying prediction markets in Roblox is a “brilliant idea”? Who’s side are you on: Square Enix who are replacing most of their QA team with AI, or Balder’s Gate 3 team member who says replacing human QA with AI is stupid?What will be GOTY? Marry 1, dump the rest: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Kingdom Come: Deliverance IISentiment Score on Wilder World N3o’s tweet responseToday’s Panelists:- Dub @uhhdub- Wills @WillsSpangler- Kevin @kevinlambert- Chris @chrisheatherly- Gnoc @itsGnoc- Kohji @ParallelTCGpod- Michael @MichaelSatoshi- Jesus @JesusMartinez

WTF is a Kabuto King? Is $MSTR about to collapse?$JESSE launchToday’s Panelists:- Dub @uhhdub- Chris @chrisheatherly- Slayer @SlayerXgg- Jonah @JonahBlake- Payton @paytkaleiwahea- Matthew @BuxtonMatthew

What’s the word for “husbando” dating sim with almost 1B in revenue?77 bit founder putting personal funds on the line for 77 days of life for his company to succeed or else it dies - what are the odds he succeeds?What’s the word for Philippines being the #1 revenue generating country for Legend of YMIR over the last 30 days?Games with anticheat as well as non-steam games cant be played on the steam machine AKA gabe cube. Does this change your sentiment?Today’s Panelists:- Kohji @parallelTCGpod- Michael @MichaelSatoshi- Dub @uhhdub- Jerry @TGIFresco- Spang @WillsSpangler- Sinjin @SinjinMAYG- Jonah @JonahBlake- Gnoc @itsGnoc- Oliver @olivermaroney

Today's Panelists:- Matthew @BuxtonMatthew- Slayer @SlayerXgg- Jerry @TGIFresco- Dub @uhhdub- Jonah @JonahBlake- Tony @tvalc- Chris @chrisheatherly- Kate @kateirwin- Jordan @JordanEureka_

Football.Fun - is it a web3 game?Sentiment Score - Mystic Axie sells for 3 ETHWhat's the word? Web 3 gaming vs Crypto Gaming vs Blockchain Gaming vs GamingDump / Date / Marry - Parallel TCG, Parallel Colony, Parallel SanctuaryGallaxia / Planet X - What are the odds of it's success?Play or Pass? - Atia's Legacy, Grand Arena, Pudgy PartyWith panelists:- Payton @paytkaleiwahea- Jerry @TGIFresco- Kohji @ParallelTCGPod- Oliver @OliverMaroney- Omar @yoitsOG- Matthew @BuxtonMatthew- Michael @MichaelSatoshi- Dub @uhhdub- Iceyyy @Iceyyy_gaming- Hantao @Hantao

What's the word for Payday going back to focus on an older title? Bullish or Bullshit on Community Gaming sunsetting support for their token to focus on their other product Forkast?Dump, date, marry - Steam’s new hardware Bullish or Biased - Atia’s legacy feedbackSentiment Score - Animoca finding a way to get listed on the Nasdaq without an IPOGAM3S Awards - predictions for Game of the yearToday’s Panelists:- Dub @uhhdub- Chris @chrisheatherly- Jerry @TGIFresco- Kevin @kevinlambert- Michael @MichaelSatoshi- Sinjin @SinjinMAYG- Gnoc @itsGnoc- Wills @WillsSpangler

Is Azuki’s IP expansion the right move?IcoBeast said that “airdrop farmers” are the single worst foundation for a community - was he wrong here?Potential dividend cheque - should we expect this to move the market?Today’s Panelists:Dub @uhhdubChris @chrisheatherlySlayer @SlayerXggTony @tvalcPhin @PhinTottenJonah @JonahBlakeJerry @TGIFrescoGorilla @CryptoGorillaYTJon @jradoff

Sentiment score on Legend of Ymir What’s the bigger deal - Kuroro Beast stealth launching their token on the Believe platform on Solana OR Moonfrost abruptly announcing they are leaving web3 to launch the game on Steam with no crypto or NFTs?Agree or disagree with Jonah - "All of entertainment competes with all of entertainment"Predictions for the GAM3S.GG rewardsToday’s Panelists:- Jerry @TGIFresco- Dub @uhhdub- Chris @chrisheatherly- Gnoc @itsGnoc- Michael @MichaelSatoshi- Tony @tvalc- Kevin @kevinlambert- Jonah @JonahBlake- Kohji @ParallelTCGPod- Sinjin @SinjinMAYG

YouTube is coming after Crypto?Is ETHOS the ultimate version of InfoFI?NFL on FDF is right around the corner…what do we expect?Today’s Panelists:- Charlie @0xChuckstock- Gorilla @CryptoGorillaYT- Chris @chrisheatherly- Dub @uhhdub- Jonah @JonahBlake- Slayer @SlayerXgg- Jordan @JordanEureka_- Matthew @BuxtonMatthew- Hantao @Hantao

What’s the word for Halo releasing on PlayStation?What was Iceyyy talking about in his post? What’s the great marketing strategy no one is replicating?What’s the word for Counterstrike’s skin changes?ParagonsDAO Parallel assets all being acquired for $220kFor or against microtransactions in games? In 2024, they accounted for 58% of revenue and Ubisoft claims it makes the games “more fun”Today’s Panelists:- Kohji @ParallelTCGpod- Dub @uhhdub- Kate @pixiekate13- Jerry @TGIFresco- Spang @WillsSpangler- Kevin @kevinlambert- Gnoc @itsGnoc- Chris @chrisheatherly

The MegaETH presale is finally openCan BAYC actually deliver on the hype they just created?Today’s Panelists:- Oliver @OliverMaroney- Charlie @0xChuckstock- Jonah @RealJonahBlake- Matt @BuxtonMatthew- Slayer @SlayerXgg- Dub @uhhdub- IcoBeast @beast_ico- Hantao @Hantao- Chris @chrisheatherly

What’s the word for Netflix saying not enough people know they offer games, yet they had a Gamescom activation with no games at it…Sentiment score on Tale of Meteora, a game using liquidity pools as a core part of their loop to try solve the sustainability problemOh Baby Games mint and strategyTrading is the ultimate game vs everything is gaming is a bs quote

MegaETH buys back 4.75% - does this matter?What needs to change to save Web3 gaming?Meteora’s meteoric rise - How should we set our expectations here? Has InfoFI found its sweetspot?Today’s Panelists- Hantao @Hantao- Slayer @SlayerXgg - IcoBeast @beast_ico- Phin @Phin_totten- Jonah @RealJonahBlake- Charlie @0xChuckstock- Chris @chrisheatherly- Dub @uhhdub

What’s the word for Rekt Game’s $7m raise?What’s the word for Reaper Actual already paying massive web2 streamers for a game that’s still in early alpha?What’s the word for Game Pass allegedly losing 300m in sales for Black Ops 6?Dead or Alive? Illuvium shows footage of their MMO - is this the start of their comeback arc?Today's Panelists:- Kohji @ParallelTCGpod- Michael @MichaelSatoshi- Dub @uhhdub- Jerry @TGIFresco- Sinjin @SinjinMAYG- Kevin @kevinlambert- Kate @pixiekate13- Gnoc @itsGnoc- Wills @WillsSpangler- Chris @chrisheatherly

The flash crash of 2025Airdrops are so back?Is Limitbreak FINALLY about to release their game?Today’s Panelists:- Tony @tvalc- Slayer @SlayerXgg- Charlie @0xChuckstock- Oliver @OliverMaroney- Dub @uhhdub- Hantao @Hantao- Easy @EasyEatsBodega- Jonah @RealJonahBlake- Jonny @0xHustlepedia

In this episode, I sit down with Justin Waldron, co-founder of Zynga and Playco, to talk about the evolution of gaming, entrepreneurship, and the future of interactive entertainment.

Eve Frontier announces they’re building on SuiHot Take or Not - ponzi’s are the only true PMF we have found for web3 gamingWhat’s the Word for Magic the Gathering adding cards with characters from The Office, Furbies, Fortnite, Jaws, Iron Maiden, and other outlandish IP collabsWhat's the word for 80% of mobile revenue coming from just 3 genresToday's Panelists- Kohji @ParallelTCGpod- Tony @Tvalc- Jerry @TGIFresco- Dub @uhhdub- Kate @pixiekate13- Sinjin @SinjinMAYG- Kevin @kevinlambert- Chris @chrisheatherly- Michael @MichaelSatoshi- Gnoc @itsGnoc

Leagues.fun - do we expect an NFL version of Football.dot fun levels of price action?Solstice... simplify if we should trust new protocols with our stables?Over/Under... Abstract airdrop before end of year?Today's Panelists:- Vidar @ANordicRaven- Matthew @BuxtonMatthew- Dub @uhhdub- Hantao @Hantao- Charlie @0xChuckstock- Jerry @TGIFresco- Jordan @JordanEureka_- Slayer @SlayerXgg- Sinjin @SinjinMAYG- Ely @ProofOfElyWe had multiple interruptions due to spaces rugging us - so this episode ends abruptly. Hopefully next week we'll be back in the clear. Thank you for listening!

Quickfire - EA gets acquired for 55 billion and is going private. Is this more beneficial or a detriment to future games from EA?Sentiment score on Pirate Nation before and after their most recent announcement?Microsoft Game Pass hikes prices to $29.99 per monthRaid Boss - Games with tokens vs games without tokensToday’s Panelists:- Michael @MichaelSatoshi - Chris @chrisheatherly- Dub @uhhdub- Jerry @TGIFresco- Kohji @ParallelTCGpod- Tony @tvalc- Sinjin @SinjinMAYG

Steam lists malware that causes lots of people to have passwords compromised and wallets drained. What practices can we take if we can’t even trust Steam?Discussion with the Pirate Nation team over their most recent decisions

Quick Hitter - Over/Under Metamask EditionIs $ASTER a crime coin?$RON buybacks continuePirate Nation buyback sparks heavy criticismToday’s Panelists:- Jerry @TGIFresco- Gorilla @CryptoGorillaYT- Jonny @0xHustlepedia- Hantao @Hantao - IcoBeast @beast_ico- Payton @paytkaleiwahea- Michael @MichaelSatoshi- Dub @uhhdub- OG @yoitsOG- Matthew @BuxtonMatthew

Chad or chump - Nintendo patents Pokémon mechanics for summoning and battling with sub-charactersSentiment score on HV-MTL getting acquired... again? Adam Weitsman (the guy who paid 1000E for the winning Dookie Dash key) acquires the IP from FarawayHow important is chain selection for your project?Is going on console too early a bad idea for your game?Worth it or a waste? Hand placing every single element in your game so it feels more organic?Today’s Panelists:- Jerry @TGIFresco- Dub @uhhdub - Kevin @kevinlambert- Wills @WillsSpangler- Chris @chrisheatherly- Kohji @ParallelTCGpod- Gnoc @itsGnoc

BASE announces tokenLOLLand hits 2.5m in revenue - Over/Under 5m total revenue by the end of 2025?Can Pump.Fun ACTUALLY disrupt streaming?Today’s Panelists:- Matthew @BuxtonMatthew- Dub @uhhdub - Jerry @TGIFresco- Charlie @0xChuckstock- Slayer @SlayerXgg- Hantao @Hantao- IcoBeast @beast_ico- Doug @DougHype

What’s the word for Smash Bros modder Mooshies getting a cease and desist letter, then adding it as a playable character into the game?Wildcard drop new whitepaper. Are whitepapers just a handicap at this point though or are they still valuable?Sentiment score on Optimism winning the bid for RoninToday’s panelists:- Jerry @TGIFresco- Sinjin @SinjinMAYG - Gnoc @itsgnoc- Michael @MichaelSatoshi- Kohji @ParallelTCGpod- Chris @chrisheatherly- Wills @WillsSpangler- Kevin @kevinlambert- Dub @uhhdub- Matthew @BuxtonMatthew- Tony @tvalc- Jihoz @jihoz_axie

Massive Potential Hack - what can we learn from this?Bullish or Bullshit - IMX claims to have had a THIRD game hit the number 1 spot on the google play store since AprilAdam Weitsman buys HV-MTL - what does this mean?THREAD OR DEAD: Are TCG Platforms lying to you?Today’s panelists:Matthew @BuxtonMatthewJerry @TGIFrescoCharlie @0xChuckstockTony @tvalcSlayer @slayerXggHantao @HantaoDub @uhhdubOG @yoitsOGIcoBeast @beast_ico

Sentiment score on Pudgy Party? Is it more than just a Fall Guys clone and is that a bad thing?Why don’t Wemix games get more love and attention in web3?Chad or chump - Reaper Actual founder says they only came to web3 for the fundingPlay to Play or Play to Earn?Today's Panelists:Chris - @chrisheatherly Dub - @uhhdub Matthew - @BuxtonMatthew Wills - @WillsSpangler Michael - @MichaelSatoshi Kohji - @ParallelTCGpod Jerry - @TGIFresco Oliver - @OliverMaroney Kevin - @kevinlambert Sinjin - @SinjinMAYG Gnoc - @itsGnoc